Dr. Seuss Flimsy Finish

On Friday, I sewed the final white border on the Dr. Seuss quilt I’m making as a donation for my daughter’s preschool fundraiser. I am actually growing to really like this quilt, and now that it’s together, I’m almost sad to see it go. I just keep hoping that whoever wins the quilt will cherish it and know how much love and work has gone into making it.

I was able to get the quilt to stay up on the shed just long enough to take one photo before it blew to the ground.

Have I mentioned how ready for spring I am!? I am SO looking forward to bright light and green things, not to mention flowers!

The diagonal sashing, while time consuming, was not nearly as tricky as I imagined it could be. This is definitely a versatile pattern that would be a great way to showcase your favorite fabrics. You could go monochromatic, rainbow gradient, or even a scrappy arrangement like I did with these diamonds.

For the sake of time, I opted to trim the edges and add wide sashing to give it a little extra size. I know that cutting white diamonds would have allowed for all of the diamonds to be whole, but I just didn’t have the time. This quilt must be finished by this Thursday at the latest, and my sewing time is scant. While nursing my sick kiddo over the weekend, I was doubly glad I opted for the short-cut.

I like the boundary that the trimmed edges provide, too. It certainly makes it look more traditional, but I think the quilting I have planned will work well with it. I plan to free motion quilt the entire quilt, using a simple orange-peel-esque quilting pattern in each diamond, a dense triangle-rich quilting in all of the narrow sashes, and a wide rounded loop in the outside borders. I toyed with the idea of free motion quilting random excerpts from Dr. Seuss books, intertwined with Truffula trees and Seussical characters for the outside border, but both because of my time constraints and the end goal, I’m going with simple. At least, as simple as I’m capable.

My daughter immediately spotted the one spot where the diamonds “match” across the sashing, and said how much she loves the quilt. My son pointed out characters and said, “We have that book!” again and again. I’m hoping that the recipient of this quilt loves it even half as much as my kids do.

Have you ever donated a quilt to be raffled off in a fundraiser? I’d love to hear some insight, since I’m feeling torn about donating such a time-consuming creation of love to be raffled off with $2 raffle tickets. Initially, I thought that by adding a quilt to the preschool basket, it would warrant auctioning, like the other classroom fundraiser baskets. Ultimately, the PTO decided to still raffle off the preschool basket even with a quilt added, saying that they wanted the “wonderful contributions” to be accessible to all families in the school. I can’t argue with that. My husband even mentioned it over the weekend, though, asking why I said yes to this endeavor and hoping that I felt my time and efforts would be appropriately valued. Honestly, I am trying to look at it as a pure donation and an old work in progress out of the house, since when I think about the likelihood of the quilt being valued as little as a $20 blanket from Target, I feel a bit icky. If nothing more, this is a learning experience. Like I said, all I can do is hope that by being part of a raffle basket, a child who may not have any other special quilts or opportunities to be given one will win this love-filled quilt and will cherish it.

18 thoughts on “Dr. Seuss Flimsy Finish”

I have done other things as a contribution to raffles. Your thinking is right on: don’t think about anything other than a child will be ecstatic about the quilt and the money raised is for a good cause.

I have made a quilt for a silent auction to benefit ALS. When it didn’t make as much as I thought it should I was disappointed. Then I received a note from my sister -in-law saying that the lady who won the quilt was very excited to get it. She had become very good friends with my borther before he pass with ALS and knowing that his sister made the quilt she just had to have it. That took away all of my disappointment. I am donating another one this year.

It is often the gesture that counts. That you managed to make such a lovely flimsy in such a short time is pure bonus. The diagonal design and sashing are wonderful to have in your arsenal! I bet the quilt will be loved by the child and the workmanship appreciated by all involved.

How big did the sashing bring up the quilt size to? I recall you were a bit worried it was small, but it looks great all finished out here! I love that your daughter found the match across a seam and that your son recognizes the fun characters from much loved books. I think your attitude about the raffle is probably the best you can do; I hope that it goes to some child that needs a bit of extra love and warmth.

My old guild’s experience was that raffles brought in more money than auctions.They even quit making qults for a group that got only $300-$400 at auction (full bed size). They got over $1000.00 for raffle in conjunction with quilt show and members selling tickets. I also agree with those who say to think of the joy it will bring the child who gets it.

What a fun quilt! Its gonna be so great for whoever wins it. I’ve made a few quilts for raffles and like the rest said you really have to “let it go”. Some made decent money, some didn’t. The recipient will LOVE it no matter what.

It’s beautiful, Kitty! I agree that some little one somewhere will absolutely love it. I can see a raffle bringing in a fair bit of money, because plenty of people will be able to spend the $2, even if they are also planning to buy something else in the auction.

I can totally understand your back and forth feelings about investing so much time, energy, and money i.e. supplies etc., and not knowing if all your hard efforts will truly be appreciated or not. I have donated several things for a silent auction for our women’s club, but since I was not able to attend the auction, I have no idea if the things that I donated sold for 1 dollar or 100. Whether my efforts were big or small, or even if the return on those efforts were worthy of the work that I invested or not, I view donating handmade things as my little way to give back. It is the heart behind giving that is the most important thing.

The art of handcrafting is truly underestimated, and I would say that it’s safe to say that the child who gets this quilt probably doesn’t comprehend if your quilt was handmade or bought at Target. But I am sure that he/she will be so ecstatic and overjoyed that they literally get to wrap themselves up in their favorite story book each night. I do know that with my two boys, every time I would read them a Dr. Seuss book, that this quilt would be a must-have for reading it.

Funny as it may sound, I have had several times when I have given things away that I have made and was torn because I had invested so much time and effort, and then I prayed that the right person would get it and whoever got it would just be over the moon happy… and they were.

This is such a lovely and fun child’s quilt, and whoever receives it will likely be overjoyed to have such a quilt to snuggle and read under. Let your kids’ enthusiasm be a sign that another child is going to be over the moon when it comes home to him or her.
The white sashing really makes it pop! How difficult was it to get the diamonds to line up across the sashing? Lovely finish in a surprisingly short time period. Nice work 🙂

Yay! You finished and it looks fabulous!! There is a boy or girl out there that is going to love this quilt as much as your children do! And in the end, isn’t that the most important part? I totally get the inner struggle, but next time you will be better prepared for a response (which might be the same or different than how you responded this time). Chalk that part up to a learning experience (always good) and know that the recipient of this quilt is going to be over the moon happy 🙂

I hear you on a donated item not being valued the way you might value it. It’s so tricky when you donate things… I think auctioning your quilt and the accompanying Seuss-y things would be the most appropriate. Too bad the organizers don’t recognize what an awesome item they have on their hands. Maybe they’ll change their mind when they see it. Even if they don’t, you’ve had the enjoyment of working on it, the satisfaction of finishing a WIP, and you’ve done your bit for the fundraiser.

And I hear you on being ready for winter to say it’s farewells… we’re getting hammered with another storm tonight and tomorrow. Ugh. I will never get to stroll with the kiddos in the park if this keeps up.

I understand your feelings because I, too, become attached both to the object, and my time investment. Hey, it’s days of our lives we might have done something else! I also wonder if it might bring as much as I’d hoped. Will they even recoup my materials cost? Many people here have expressed more thoughts that resonate with me, too. These are all valid feelings, and no one gives without at least processing one or all of them.

My feeling is this: it’s not the object at all in the end. It’s all those feelings and thoughts together that equate to make the gift. It’s the sacrifice you’re giving of you time. The other part special to me, is the actual time you spend thinking about the people you’re donating for. Putting that consciousness–your awareness of the problem or need out there helps in itself. You’re a changed person once you spend that amount of time contributing to the cause. You’ll speak differently of it, and you will be able to express more deeply your commitment to it. You will help to change the next person who needs to see it.

On top of it, your children will see how you lead your life. There is no better role model for them than someone they already love. We change our children when we show them how to be loving, caring adults by actually doing it. Your gift has more ramifications than you’ll ever know.

I think you have done a wonderful job by donating this quilt to your daughter’s school raffle. When you think about it, I agree with you that it is a bit heart breaking that your quilt might get undervalued. But when you think about a child who will own his/her maybe the very first quilt, everybody will appreciate the time and the effort that you have put in to making this quilt. I congratulate you. It is a very beautiful, bright, colourful quilt which I believe will put big happy smiles on a little person’s face…

I’ve done two raffle quilts: One as a fundraiser for the swim team and one for Project Graduation. The swim team raffle generated almost $800; the Project Graduation raffle $300. Tickets were the usual price – $1 each or 6 for $5. The key with the swim team is that is was put in the “team fundraiser packets” as the item to sell tickets for to raise funds. The Project Grad tickets were sold at school events and open houses. A few local businesses put up posters. Your quilt is beautiful. I know whomever wins it will love and cherish it, and appreciate the time and effort that went into it.

About Me

I’m a stay at home mom of three littles, wife, sewist of quilts and other beautiful things, knitter, gardener, yogi, and all in all lover of life. With three little kids, my only sewing time is after bedtime. Thus the Night Quilter was born. This blog is all about my stitching: both quilting and knitting projects, as well as the creation of my own patterns and any other inspiration I find along the way.

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